1. Home
  2. music
  3. 137675-1445

Time to weed the LPs.... (choosing stuff to dump)

I am in the process (again, every few years) of weeding the Rock LPs. Going through newer stuff to decide to sell to my fav. record store, or keep.
I do this every few years to thin out the collection gradually. Eight years ago I did a major cull removing 6,000 LPs of 12,000 to move. Over the last six years I have cut that down to 4,500 (and probably buying 500 of those during that time).For all sorts of reasons it is a good project. Get rid of cobweb covered music I have no use for, (and maybe someone else wants) Frees up a small amount of cash to waste on more Stereo junk.The main thing is the collection gets better, more just what I really like.Anyone else clear out the junk now and then?(For the question already forming... and no I will not sell them here. I have bought tons of stuff at my fav. record store, I like them, and sell all my records to them.  LOL)
elizabeth
pryso
1,501 posts
 
elizabeth, my collection is smaller than yours and I still feel the need to reduce it.  I think many of us end up with records we don't listen to because of duplicate copies, changing taste, finding it was not as good as expected when we bought it, disappointing sonics/damage, etc.

But moving can also be a real stimulant to examining what we want to keep.  I made a modest start on that some time ago but that move didn't happen.  Now I'm faced with a much greater likelihood of moving in the near future.  So that will be a real motivation.

Another point that younger collectors don't likely consider, what are the chances of having time to ever listen to all of our collection?  Even with about 3K LPs I'm old enough to admit I'll not likely ever play some of them again.  And my favorites certainly deserve more than only one more listen.  So I've set a goal to end up with around 1,500 LPs that I know I'll enjoy listening to.  That is still many hours of fun and enjoyment.
david12
1,398 posts
 

Just how many is enough. I have 2500 collected over the years and management has made it clear, enough is enough. In the UK we have small houses compared with you guys, just not enough storage.

 I read a few years ago about a Chinese enthusiast who'd bought a collection of over 250,000 LPs. My question, why? Someone worked out it would take over 20 years of constant waking hours listening, to get through them.


fleschler
766 posts
 
The Brazilian collector has purchased about 8 million records, many from the estates of major record dealers in the U.S.  He has a full time staff cataloging his collection.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Freitas
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/27/record-collector-zero-freitas-worlds-largest-vinyl-hoa...
 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/the-brazilian-bus-magnate-whos-buying-up-all-the-worlds-...

And finally, an interview with Freitas https://thevinylfactory.com/features/inside-the-worlds-biggest-record-collection-an-interview-with-z...   where is says
U.S. Americans have the cult of memory. So the estimation is that the percentage of digitalised music reaches the level of 80% of all works ever released there. In a country like Brazil, it does not reach 20%. I’d say it’s probably even less because this is just 20% of the mainstream commercial market and outside it it must be close to zero. I have thousands and thousands of records with gospel music that were not digitalised. Even the majors that are the most organised of the music labels have no idea of exactly how many records they have produced. The available information is very vague.

And this whereby I must be one of those crazy people:   I have no contact with other collectors. In general they are crazy people. I do not belong to a collectors’ club. I made friends with some, mainly through theatre, but I don’t talk to them about records and music, because they talk about it all day, and I find it kind of a sickness.  

jafant's avatar
jafant
10,525 posts
 
Yep, I recognized that Air Force check-list as well. Good to be within your company here.  Certainly nothing wrong with a little Death Metal, soothes the senses.   Happy Listening!
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
4,908 posts
 

I too culled (new word to me ;-) in preparation for the last major move of my life (I hope to God). LP's and CD's either bought or given and never listened to, or music of a sort or by artists I no longer can't live without---my new yardstick. As you get older, and see the end approaching, time is too valuable to waste on less-than-essential music. More Bach, less Rock!

I know the main buyer at Amoeba Music in Hollywood (he was one of my sales reps---for one of the major indie distributors---when I was a buyer at Tower), and he gave me top dollar for the 1500 LP's and 3000 CD's I brought in, 50% of what they sell them for. The discs you buy at Amoeba may have been mine!

More to discover